The present invention relates generally to chemical holders, and in particular, to a holder of chlorine tablets used to chlorinate a swimming pool.
Most private swimming pool owners use either chlorine tablets or chlorine powder to chlorinate their pools. Probably the most convenient means to chlorinate is to place chlorine tablets in a container and allow the tablets to slowly dissolve in the water. By using the tablets in a floating container, the chlorine content throughout the pool will approximate a constant, desired level.
As with any body of substantially stagnant water, swimming pool walls and bottoms frequently serve as host surfaces for algae growth. Once the algal growth is established pool maintenance is made more difficult because normal levels of chlorination are ineffective to kill the accumulated algae.
In the past, to combat the problem of algal growth, pool owners have hyperchlorinated the pool water. The extremely high levels of chlorine resulting from hyperchlorination, however, still require the owner to vigorously scrub the surfaces to eliminate the algae and render the pool unusable for the period of hyperchlorination.
Conventional chlorine tablet holders are designed for freely floating about in the pool. Such tablet holders are represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,533 to Wayne C. Davey issued Sept. 25, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,959 to W. H. Ve Relle issued Aug. 30, 1960; U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,711 to W. D. Bond issued July 18, 1972; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,025 to Joel Grayson IV, Marietta and Donald P. Kahle issued Dec. 23, 1980. Other chemical holders which suspend chemicals in water for dissolution are specifically patented to sanitize and prevent sediment deposits in toilet bowls and are represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,014 to Elbert Davis issued Dec. 8, 1970 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,807 to Roscoe H. Harper issued Oct. 1, 1957 respectively.